A chauffeur drives a limousine or other vehicle for a private individual or a company. Although chauffeurs have played glamorous roles in movies as different as "Driving Miss Daisy" and "My Chauffeur," the actual profession is quite demanding. Being a chauffeur demands a license, as well as the ability to drive skillfully and safely. In addition, chauffeurs must be well dressed for work and demonstrate courtesy and professionalism in the performance of their duties.

Pay Scale

The Bureau of Labor Statistics combines two somewhat different professions in its salary data: taxi drivers and chauffeurs. However, a closer look at the data suggests the pay is not significantly different across the two jobs. The annual mean wage is $25,020 and the annual median wage is $22,760, with the bottom 10 percent earning $16,890 and the top 10 percent earning $37,170. The two industries that employ the most people fall right around this median salary, with taxi and limousine service drivers earning $27,840 and other transit and ground passenger transportation drivers earning $24,300.

Best-Paying Jobs

The image of drivers chauffeuring movie stars around Hollywood is not completely inaccurate, and those lucky enough to find such a job are among the most highly paid chauffeurs. Those working in the motion picture and video industries make an annual mean wage of $53,580, according to the BLS, more than double the mean for the industry. Additional high-paying chauffeur jobs include other financial investment activities, with Wall Street drivers paid an annual mean of $48,180; and offices of real estate agents and brokers, with these drivers earning $38,090 annually.

Pay by State

The top states in terms of chauffeur employment are also some of the most populous. New York leads the way in the BLS data, with California second, and Texas, Nevada and Florida rounding out the top 5. Chauffeurs in New York and Nevada make a mean wage in excess of $30,000 annually, while those in the other three states make a mean wage of between $22,000 and $25,000. Nevada may not be as populated as the others, but it has the highest rate of chauffeurs per 1,000 workers.

Pay by Metro Region

As you might expect, major metropolitan areas have the highest employment of both taxi drivers and chauffeurs, according to the BLS. The New York City metro area has the most drivers, and pays a mean wage of $32,950, while the Las Vegas metro area pays a similar $32,450. The District of Columbia is the top-paying "state," with its multitude of politicians and diplomats, paying $35,090 annually, while the Tacoma, Washington, area is the best-paying metro area, with a $38,360 annual mean.

About the Author

Eric Strauss spent 12 years as a newspaper copy editor, eventually serving as a deputy business editor at "The Star-Ledger" in New Jersey before transitioning into academic communications. His byline has appeared in several newspapers and websites. Strauss holds a B.A. in creative writing/professional writing and recently earned an M.A. in English literature.

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